


On Marriage: Coaches Compete

by RinAsami



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 20:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10704900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinAsami/pseuds/RinAsami
Summary: When gold medalists and husbands, Yuri Katsuki and Victor Nikiforov, both become coaches in the sport of figure skating, how will the pair deal with some friendly competition in their marriage?





	On Marriage: Coaches Compete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the lovely person that shared Liran's artwork of Yuri Katsuki as an older figure skating coach on Facebook and to the others that wished for a fanfiction related to the stunning image. If you'd like to see the inspiration you can visit Pixiv and search for Liran's image number 62375082.
> 
> Enjoy! <3

 

* * *

 

 

Kenjirou Minami roamed around in his kitchen for something to munch on. He’d already had a smoothie, but the 22-year-old still wanted more. Rice crackers it would be; they’re light, and a few wouldn’t throw him off too much at the skating practice in an hour. He flopped down on his sofa, stretching his limbs out over the armrest. The boy yawned sleepily, running his hand through his blond, red-streaked hair. “Hm, let’s see what we have on SNS, I wonder what Phichit has been up to,” he muttered. The boy lazily scrolled through the posts, stopping at a repost of an article regarding his idol, Yuri Katsuki. “What!” Minami yelled out, blowing a puff of cracker bits all over his chest. He coughed up more pieces and brushed them off his shirt. He had to read that headline again.

 

“ **Gold Medalist, Yuri Katuski, Retiring.** ”

 

Clicking on the article, he continued to read the shocking news. Phichit didn’t even text him as a heads up.

 

_In a surprising turn of events, the Gold Medalist, Yuri Katuski (31) has announced via social media that he will be retiring this season after taking home a fifth gold medal. His coach and husband, Victor Nikiforov (35) said he supports husband’s decision and looks forward to a quiet life away from competition as they settle in their hometown of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Japan Times will update as more information is released._

 

Minami’s jaw was stuck wide open. His favorite skater, the man he always looked up to and wanted to be like, was retiring. Gone from figure skating for good. He felt a pang in his chest as he reread the article. The short blurb seemed to indicate that the married duo would be settling down instead of coaching other skaters. A pout formed as the boy thought about what he’d read. It meant that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his lifetime dream. A dream he had ever since he saw the older skater take the ice those years ago, to have the famous Japanese skater, who represented all of Japan, be his coach. Minami liked his current coach well enough, but he felt in his heart that he could really soar with the guidance of his idol.

The twenty-two year old looked at the time on this phone. It would be two hours earlier for the Thai skater but this was important, he had to know what happened.

It had taken a few rings before a sleepy Phichit answered in a groggy voice.

“Hello…?” The scratchy voice met the other’s ears, making him feel a little guilty.

“Hey, Phichit, it’s Minami. Sorry to wake you up so early. Can you talk?” he asked.

A rustling noise came through the phone followed by a yawn. “Yeah, I’m up now,” the Thai skater laughed.

The younger skater couldn’t contain his curiosity and rushed right into the questions. “I saw a headline when I woke up. It said Katsuki is retiring from skating! Is it true—is it!?” He tried not to sound desperate, but it came through loud and clear.

Phichit sighed on the other end. “Yeah, it’s true. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. Yuri was going back and forth about it a lot lately. I got a text from him late last night, but I fell asleep before responding. I guess he and Victor made their decisions.” He sounded sad relaying what he knew to the other.

“Dammit.” Minami groaned. “He’s not that old; why is he retiring anyway!? Now I’ll never get to have him as my coach.” The boy emphasized a whine as the stretched out the word, ‘coach.’

The Thai skater had to laugh. “I know, I didn’t want him to leave the sport either, but he’s been in this a long time. You know how it is; how hard it is on our bodies—we can’t keep at it forever.”

“Yeah…I know, but still…”

“Hey, maybe you can ask Victor to be your coach. I know Yuri said he was retiring, but that doesn’t mean that Victor will as well. Victor is hard to keep down, he may think about settling down and getting out of the sport, but you know how he can be—he’ll be back at it less than a year later. He can’t keep away from it; he loves the competition and fanfare too much—much more than Yuri.” That was a statement that Minami could agree with. Victor was Victor after all. He enjoyed the spotlight and having fans look up to him, plus choreography was in his blood.

The younger skater plopped another cracker in his mouth before continuing, mulling over the thought of Victor as his coach. “I don’t know, I mean I know he’d be a great coach but…” he trailed off, and he flipped on his stomach.

“But…you wanted Yuri, right?”

“Yep. It’s like how Yuri looked up to Victor all those years—I look up to Yuri that way. Well, except I don’t want to marry him.” Minami snorted at the thought, shaking his head.

“Well, if you want a chance you better ask him quick. Now that Victor’s going to be skater-less you know Guang Hong Ji is going to make contact if he hasn’t already. Guang wasn’t that happy about his performance these past years, not that his coach isn’t good, but he needs someone that can help him with his flare and image. You know Nikiforov would be the go-to coach for that. “

“True,” the other agreed. “Phichit, aren’t they back in Hasetsu for a little bit. I heard someone saying that they were there to say goodbye to Makka.”

“Yeah, they wanted to put her ashes next to Vicchan’s. They were going to catch up with Yuri’s parents and sister at the same time. Both needed the relaxing environment of the hot springs. Even though they knew it was coming since Makkachin had been sick for a while it still was a little shocking.”

“I don’t know if I should bother them at a time like this though. Victor’s is probably really upset.” Minami didn’t want to intrude when the couple needed the time to grieve.

Phichit knew the pair better than most. They are strong as a couple, and though their beloved dog’s passing was a tragedy, they knew that the sweet poodle was in a better place instead of being in pain on this earth. “No, it’s okay. Like I said, they were preparing for it. They shed some tears the first week they were there, but now it’s about moving on, starting with Yuri’s retirement.” He paused. “Hey, why don’t you go visit them? You’re not that far, and you haven’t seen Yuri in a while I know. I think he’d like to see you—he gets all self-conscious when you gush over him; it’s so funny.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll give Yuri a call after my practice. They’re probably sleeping in anyway. I would on my vacation.”

Phichit agreed that it sounded like a plan, but reminded the other not to wait too long to catch up with the couple. Minami thanked his friend for the info and wished him luck at his practice today, hoping that the early phone call wouldn’t throw him off.

 

* * *

 

 

Minami’s practice hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped. He nailed many of his jumps, but his coach said that his footwork and overall presence could be improved. He decided to continue practicing after their session was over. His coach asked if he wanted her to stay with him, but he declined, saying he needed to clear his head alone this time.

Minami pushed himself hard, tackling combination spins and jumps one right after the other. He debated calling Yuri as the cooling wind combed through his dually-colored hair. He didn’t know if he would be a worthy student for Yuri if the older man would take him on as a student. Kenjirou and Yuri had more in common than they realized, both idolizing their favorite skater on a pedestal—sometimes forgetting that their idols are simply people just like everyone else. As he twirled in a layback spin, he ran over in his head how he’d respond if Yuri declined and reinforced that he was truly done with figure skating altogether.

The skater felt the warm droplets as they dripped from his eyes and flung away from the force of the spin. It would be a great loss to the skating world and to the younger skater personally if the great Yuri Katsuki quit. The older Japanese figure skater was on par with Victor, winning several gold medals and actually breaking many of Victor’s records. The husband team were the shining stars of the ISU, and the best part about the pair was that none of the recognition or fame got to their heads. Both men were always happy to stop and sign autographs or take pictures with fans. They weren’t too big to watch lower ranked skaters and give them tips if asked. Minami was lost in thought, not paying attention to his spin exit and ended up falling on his butt. He had to laugh at himself, there he was wanting to be better and ask a legend to coach him, yet just thinking about the man made him forget his form. If he were lucky enough to get Yuri or even Victor as a coach, he would need to keep his fanboy nature in check.

After being at the rink for a good four hours, Kenjirou made it home to soak in a steaming bath. His feet ached from the punishment he gave them earlier. The boy played with his phone while enjoying the oiled bathwater. Soaking in a bath milk was always comforting after a long session of skating. His skin felt refreshed in the oil after being on the ice for so long. After scrolling through a few news and gaming websites, his finger hovered over the “V” icon in the quick dial menu. He’d decided to talk to Victor first, considering he would be the one in need of a student if the man continued coaching. Plus, Minami genuinely liked the Russian coach and wanted to extend his condolences for his loss. He was about to press the button to dial but stopped.

 _What am I going to say?_ He thought to himself. He’d have to come up with a plan before just haphazardly calling Victor with a request of such magnitude. He really wanted Yuri as his coach, but it would only be right to ask the current coach if he wanted a student versus overstepping and immediately asking a skater that is retiring to coach. The skater flexed his muscles as he set the phone down, getting out of the bath to dry off.

After dressing, he made his way to the small balcony of his Osaka apartment that overlooked a busy street. It’s now or never, though. He was too impatient with himself, suddenly deciding that he didn’t really need a plan just to talk to someone. He’d be himself—just a little less idol-worshippy. He held the phone to his ear after pressing the icon for Victor Nikiforov’s cell. He waited patiently for the coach to pick up the line—it went to voicemail.

“Crap,” Minami murmured as he took a deep breath of the crisp air. He didn’t even leave a voice message. Setting the phone down on the small table, he sat in the matching chair and stared at the phone, willing it to ring. Five minutes went by as he fidgeted, looking out at all the buildings and listening to the hum of people. “Ring!” he commanded the phone. The boy felt a little silly though; Victor probably wouldn’t have his number saved; he didn’t leave a message so it would just show up as a random number on the other’s phone. “No one’s gonna call back a number they don’t know. Damn, I should have left a voice message.”

Then it rang. The cheery sounds of Minami’s Boogy echoed in the open space.

Kenjirou was almost afraid to look to see who it was, not wanting to get his hopes up for a marketing call. Glancing down at the screen a huge grin spread across his face. “ _Maybe he did have my number saved!_ ” he thought.

The screen read: Victor Nikiforov.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The rating may change for this story as it goes on. I've never written a story without any smut, so we'll see.

**Author's Note:**

> Sign up for my newsletter at [seramaddingly.com](http://www.seramaddingly.com)


End file.
